GURPS Martial Arts - Home

6–Damage to the temporal lobes, giving Partial Amnesia
(p. B123) – or Total Amnesia, if injured to -HP or worse.
7–Damage to the parietal lobe, giving Dyslexia (p. B134).
8–Damage to the cerebellum, giving slurred speech. Treat this
as Stuttering (p. B157).
9–Damage to the occipital lobes, giving Bad Sight (p. B123).
Critical failure on the recovery roll means Blindness
(p. B124)!
10, 11 – No special effect.
12 – Ruptured eardrums or damage to the temporal lobe, giving
Hard of Hearing (p. B138). Critical failure on the recovery
roll means full Deafness (p. B129).
13 – Damage to the cerebellum, giving a level of Ham-Fisted
(p. B138) – or two levels, if injured to -HP or worse.
14 – Widespread brain damage, giving Neurological Disorder
(Mild). See p. B144.
15 – Brain stem damage that impairs reaction time (“startle
response”), giving -1 Basic Speed.
16 – Severe damage to the cerebellum, giving -1 DX.
17 – As 14, but Neurological Disorder (Severe).
18 – As 14, but Neurological Disorder (Crippling).
Veins and Arteries Wounds Table
Roll 3d. Death from such a wound means the victim
“bleeds out.” This is messy and obvious, makes ordinary resuscitation
impossible, and tends to disappoint vampires.
3–Circulatory damage, giving -1 HT. Critical failure on the
recovery roll means delayed death resulting from
aneurysm. Treat this as Terminally Ill (Up to two years); see
p. B158.
4, 5 – For an artery in the arm or leg, lack of blood flow cripples
the limb; treat this as a crippled limb. For a vein/artery
in the neck, roll on the Neck Wounds Table instead.
Royal Odysseus pondered if he
should hit him with all he had and
drop the man dead on the spot, or
only spar, with force enough to
knock him down.
– Homer, The Odyssey
6, 7 – Circulatory damage, giving one level of Easy to Kill
(p. B134) plus one extra level if injured to -HP, two extra
levels at -2¥HP, and so on.
8-13 – No special effect.
14, 15 – A severe tear that counts as Wounded (p. B162). This
can become permanent, like any other crippling injury.
16, 17 – As 4, 5.
18 – A blood clot travels to the brain and causes a stroke. Roll
on the Skull Wounds Table for effects.
Vitals Wounds Table
Roll 3d. At the GM’s option, death from such a wound
means an instantly lethal blow to the heart!
3–Severely weakened vital organ(s), giving -1 HT. Critical
failure on the recovery roll means eventual death due to
organ failure. Treat this as Terminally Ill (Up to two
years); see p. B158.
4–Stabbing pains in the chest or abdomen that count as
Chronic Pain (p. B126). The GM assesses effects worth
roughly -1 point per lost HP. For instance, 21 HP of injury
might cause Chronic Pain (Agonizing; 4 hours; 9 or less)
[-22].
5–Damage to the kidneys, liver, pancreas, or other organs,
resulting in Restricted Diet (p. B151). The special diet
amounts to a “very common” item.
6 – Shock to the immune system, giving one level of
Susceptible to Disease (p. B158) plus one extra level if
injured to -HP, two extra levels at -2¥HP, and so on.
7–Reduced cardiovascular fitness, giving -1 FP plus an
extra -1 FP if injured to -HP, -2 FP at -2¥HP, and so on.
8 – Weakened heart, giving one level of Easy to Kill
(p. B134) plus one extra level if injured to -HP, two extra
levels at -2¥HP, and so on.
9-12 – No special effect.
13 – A deep hole that counts as Wounded (p. B162). If this
becomes permanent, it may be deliberate (a result of surgery)
or the result of incomplete healing.
14 – General damage to the vital organs, leading to Slow
Healing 1 (p. B155).
15 – Severely reduced cardiovascular health, giving Unfit
(p. B160) – or Very Unfit, if injured to -4¥HP or worse.
16 – Chronic health problems that require daily care. Treat
as Maintenance (Physician; 1 person; Daily); see p. B142.
17 – As 16, but requires care three times per day. Treat as
Maintenance (Physician; 1 person; Three times daily).
18 – As 16, but requires constant life support. Treat as
Maintenance (Physician; 1 person; Constant).
CINEMATIC INJURY
Characters in martial-arts films commonly have an unrealistic
capacity for surviving brutal punishment. In some
tales, the hero takes a beating, then gets a second wind and
wins the fight. In others, fighters are simply hurt less by
fists, feet, etc., than by blades, bullets, fire, and poison. Flesh
Wounds (p. B417) can simulate the first type of “realism.”
Exotic advantages offer other ways to handle both
situations.
Regeneration is an excellent alternative for second
winds. Damage Resistance, Injury Tolerance, and piles of
HP are handy for warriors who can absorb massive damage.
See Advantages (pp. 42-53) and Extra Hit Points (p. 49) for
discussions of these traits in Martial Arts campaigns, and
Desirable Advantages (p. 43) for some related traits.
The GM decides who can possess these capabilities. He
might make them available only to those with Trained by a
Master or Weapon Master. He might make them options or
mandatory “campaign advantages” for all PCs and important
NPCs. It’s even possible to give everyone in the game
world such traits – at least in a silly game. If so, the GM
should consider applying the advantages’ effects without
charging points. If everybody is super-tough, it isn’t an
advantage worth noting.
COMBAT 139